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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Occupational Health and Safety
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1529023
Assessing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Risks in Bus Drivers: Insights from a Municipal Company Case Study in Portugal
Provisionally accepted- School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of porto, Porto, Portugal
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The public transport sector plays a crucial role in society, offering essential services and providing employment to a significant number of drivers. Despite the importance of this sector, it is essential to recognize that drivers are exposed to various occupational risks inherent to their daily work, which can have serious implications for their health. This study aims to characterize and analyse Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) and psychosocial risks in a public transport company. In the initial phase of the study, a questionnaire was administered to assess musculoskeletal symptoms and psychosocial risks. In the second phase, an inertial motion capture system was used to evaluate the risk of developing WMSD. The results revealed a significant and concerning prevalence of burnout, with over 60% of workers reporting high or severe levels across all dimensions (i.e., personal, work-related, and client-related burnout). Depression, anxiety, and stress were within typical ranges, though a relevant percentage of participants exhibited severe and extremely severe levels of depression (7.2%), anxiety (12.2%) and stress (8%). Musculoskeletal discomfort was highly prevalent, particularly in the lower back (68.3%) and neck regions (57.2%), regarding pain over the last 12 months. Additionally, the risk of developing WMSDs was high across the various microtasks, which were analysed across different bus lines and routes, with Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) scores ranging from 4 (Medium Risk) to 7 (Very High Risk). Based on the results, varying bus types and routes is recommended. Programs should enhance well-being, and studies should assess interventions on health, stress, and occupational risks.
Keywords: Anxiety, burnout, Bus driver, Depression, stress, Transport sector, WMSD
Received: 15 Nov 2024; Accepted: 11 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Silva, Mendes, Lapa, Rodrigues and Carvalho. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Tânia Teixeira Silva, School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of porto, Porto, Portugal
Tatiana Ramos Mendes, School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of porto, Porto, Portugal
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